If you're comfortable with your self image such that you don't need an ego-boosting badge to prop it up, you should find something in the Octavia line up to your liking. The 2.0TDI and the all-wheel drive variants are the most attractive variants but the 197bhp 2.0T vRS has a superb ability to catch other drivers on the hop!

The Skoda Octavia estate has long occupied an unusual but fairly lucrative niche. Bigger than something like a Focus estate but not quite as big as a Mondeo wagon, it's been a popular choice amongst those who needed a car that was practical at the same time as being relatively easy to park. The value for money promised by the Skoda badge also boosted appeal and the post '05 generation model adds a little more sophistication but retains the same basic appeal. Here's what to look for when shopping for a Mk2 Octavia Estate.

SKODA OCTAVIA HISTORY

Volkswagen certainly had the long game in mind when they first bought a stake in Skoda. Believe it or not, that was back in 1991 and fourteen years of investment, development, political manoeuvring and lobbying eventually resulted in the 2005 Skoda Octavia Estate. In those fourteen years, Skoda went from being a parochial manufacturer of - and let's not get too precious here - Eastern European tat to a brand with some genuine equity behind the badge. These days, Skoda means solid build quality and a gateway into the Volkswagen Group tech bank. After its launch here in 1998, the Octavia grew bigger and more sophisticated down the years and the share of the Estate's sales steadily grew. Skoda helped by making certain models available solely in estate guise and carried this tradition on with the 2005 car, launching the 4x4 and, in summer 2007, the Octavia Scout 4x4. When the original Octavia first appeared, it was at the time by far Skoda's most sophisticated vehicle. Since that time however, we've not only seen the executive class Superb but also a whole range of exciting Skoda concept cars that hint at where the Czech company is going. The second generation Octavia arrived in summer 2004 and carried on where its predecessor left off, offering a wide range of spacious, well engineered cars to people who wanted Volkswagen standard engineering but with Volkswagen sized prices. Estates followed the next year with an interesting 4x4 model offered. The early 1.6-litre engine was phased out in 2005 with a more advanced FSI unit carrying the banner. Autumn 2006 saw the vRS TDI making an appearance powered by a 168bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine. In mid-2007, a 160bhp 1.8 TFSI petrol unit was added to the range alongside the Scout version.

WHAT DO I GET FOR MY MONEY?

First shown at the Paris Show in September 2004, the MK2 Octavia estate is a good deal sleeker and more rounded than its rather setsquare predecessor. Built on the same platform as the hatchback model, this Octavia estate eschews the current trend for long wheelbase estate versions and instead concentrates on offering solid value for money and practical interior solutions rather than headline grabbing gimmickry. A split/fold rear bench isn't the most exciting feature but it can free up a huge amount of space - some 1,620 litres all in - and even with the seats in place, there's 580 litres available to stuff with bags. That's fully 32 litres more than the MK1 car, despite this replacement model looking a good deal sportier. Still, you could be forgiven for thinking the post '05 car is merely a facelift of the previous model. Skoda and their customers were happy with the styling of the outgoing version and despite the MK2 car being all new from the ground up, the lines are evolutionary. The grille is that little bit more pronounced and the wheelarches look more architecturally sculpted but otherwise you won't need to clock the badge on its behind to figure out that it's an Octavia. The load bay is not only large but also sensibly shaped. Instead of the wheelarch intrusion that so many estate models suffer, the Octavia Estate features a large, flat load space, carpeted and trimmed with rails so that heavy items can be slid into place. Lashing eyes mounted on the floor ensure that heavy objects can be firmly stowed and all the fixtures and fittings look beefy enough to last the course. The sheer attention to detail is impressive. The low loading lip is thoughtfully contoured so that heavy items can be rested there for a moment without danger of slipping. Beefy gas struts keep the tailgate well out of your way so you've got plenty of room to manoeuvre. The rear overhang was extended a little further to give the Octavia Estate better load capacity. Passenger room is similarly generous - and that's important since the prodigious luggage space of the original Octavia required rear seat passengers to pay in kind. The wheelbase of the MK2 model was teased out by another 66mm, endowing it with admirable rear legroom even when long limbed adults occupy the front seats. Rear headroom is better than the swooping roofline would suggest, helped in no small part by a slightly more generous seat back recline than in many such cars. The fascia won't surprise too many, again being a development of the MK1 car's styling themes. The 'Venetian blind' air vents and the no nonsense switchgear are recurrent themes but the quality was improved still further. Whereas the original Octavia's dash was very well screwed together but made of noticeably cheaper materials than the Golf, the expensively slush-moulded finishes of the second generation Octavia bear comparison with the best in class.

WHAT PRICE AM I LOOKING AT?

You won't need much more than £8,800 to get your hands on a 54 plated Octavia 1.6-litre Ambiente estate, although many would feel that it was money well spent to cough up another £600 and land a 2.0-litre model instead. Opt for an Elegance model instead and you'll be looking at around £9,850, again on the 54 plate, or another £500 if you want the automatic gearbox. If you really want to get a skedaddle on, try the 197bhp 2.0T vRS which can now be found for less than around £14,000 if you're persistent. The 1.9-litre TDI represents a workable diesel option which prices starting at around £8,600 for a Classic hatch and rising to around £10,500 for an 54-plated Elegance but if you're going to spend that much money, it's worth spending another £400 for the brilliant DSG twin-clutch sequential gearchange. Alternatively, you could spend the same amount of money on a 2.0TDI Elegance with a manual box which may well be a wiser way to spend your funds.

WHAT SHOULD I LOOK OUT FOR?

Ask a Skoda dealer what goes wrong with Octavias and you're likely to have a short, if slightly dull, conversation. In the words of one dealer, Octavias are 'bulletproof'. Certainly, they're every bit as well put together as a VW Polo or a Golf - a fact confirmed by VW Group in-house surveys. Still, check for wear to loading floors on the estate models, rattles from behind the fascia and make sure that servicing has been properly carried out.

HOW DOES IT DRIVE?

The Octavia drives pretty much as you'd expect - assured, comfortable but nothing too sporting. These days, even the more comfort biased chassis are so competent that it takes a genuinely hamfisted development to result in a car that's no fun to drive. The MK2 Octavia benefits from Volkswagen's quest to endow the Golf chassis with Ford Focus-style driving manners. Even with the wick turned down a good few notches, it can't help but feel extremely capable when stitching a series of bends together. Engine-wise, prepare to be faced with a 115bhp 1.6-litre FSI, a 150bhp 2.0-litre FSI, a 160bhp 1.8TFSI and the 200bhp 2.0-litre turbo powerplant found in the vRS if you choose petrol power. Opt for diesel and there's a 105bhp 1.9-litre entry-level TDI, a torquey 140bhp TDI and a 170bhp TDI acting as the flagship diesel engine in the vRS TDI. Overall, the 115bhp 1.6-litre FSI engine represents probably the best balance between poise and power. Of course, the 2.0-litre TDi 140 diesel is the car that many will be drawn to and there's also the appeal of the VW Group's fantastic DSG dual clutch gearbox, albeit without the F1-style paddle shift. There are even all-wheel drive models with a Haldex electronically controlled multi-plate clutch that uses sensors around the car to determine the amount of drive needed for the rear wheels. If you can't run to a Volvo XC70 or a Subaru Forester, this Skoda estate 4x4 or Scout derivatives represent a very worthy alternative and they're a good deal more capable than that part time drive system would suggest.

BY ANDY ENRIGHT

PARTS INFORMATION

(Estimated prices, based on a 2006 Octavia Ambiente 1.6) An alternator is a big ticket item at around £450, while a clutch assembly is around £215, making these parts of the Skoda ownership experience as upmarket as Volkswagen claim. Front brake pads are a reassuring £40 a pair, whilst somebody must have employed a pre-VW Skoda accountant when radiators were priced at £90. A starter motor is around £135, whilst a replacement headlamp is just over £100.